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Location: AA03 Volubilis
OVERVIEW
Digital adoption remains uneven globally, with approximately 3 billion people lacking internet access and 2 billion having limited connectivity. In low-income developing countries, only around one-third of the population used the internet in 2021, compared to two-thirds in emerging market economies and nine out of ten in advanced economies. Gender and age disparities exacerbate the digital divide. Governments can leverage digital adoption to enhance public finance operations, improve service delivery, and enhance fiscal transparency through GovTech solutions. To fully realize the benefits of digitalization, comprehensive reform plans like National Digital Strategies are needed, along with institutional reforms, and robust data security measures. The panelist will discuss concrete experiences and key pillars of strategies for achieving inclusive GovTech transformation for societal well-being.
MODERATOR
Amanda Walker
Journalist, IMF Today
Amanda Walker is an award-winning British journalist who has spent nearly two decades reporting on breaking news around the world. From 2009 Amanda served as Russia Correspondent for Sky News before heading to Washington DC to become their US correspondent.
SPEAKERS
Ghita Mezzour
Minister of Digital Transition and Adm. Reform, Morocco
Dr. Ghita Mezzour is the Moroccan Minister in charge of Digital Transition and Administration Reform. Prior to her appointment, she worked as an entrepreneur and as an academic on developing digital solutions that have strong socio-economic impact. She holds a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s and a bachelor’s from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. Dr. Mezzour has received multiple international awards for her work.
James Stewart
CTO, Public Digital, UK
James Stewart is a Partner and CTO at Public Digital, a UK-based but globally focused digital transformation consultancy. He works with governments and other large institutions around the world to create the conditions for successful digital impact by transforming culture, processes and practices. With colleagues at Public Digital and ODI James is an author of two recent papers laying out a new paradigm for digital public finance. Previously James was Deputy CTO for the UK government where he helped establish the Government Digital Service, was the chief architect for large scale public service reform, and led government work on public cloud, open standards and open source. He was also deeply involved in the formation of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre.
Gerardo Una
Fiscal Affairs Department, IMF
Gerardo Una is a Senior Economist at the Fiscal Affairs Department of the IMF. He provides technical assistance to governments in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia countries on treasury management, public investment management, financial management information systems, and digital solutions to improve fiscal management. Currently he is leading digital innovations and public financial management initiatives at the Fiscal Affairs Department. Also, Gerardo is the Head of the FAD Capacity Development Strategy Support Team. Prior to join the IMF, he worked at the Ministry of Finance of Chile, the Ministry of Finance of Argentina, and the Ministry of Finance of Paraguay. Gerardo holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Executive Program Certification in Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
PHOTOS
